Page 23 of Hunted (Haven Realm Chronicles 1)

Wrenching myself backward, I ran, my thighs aching. Nothing would stopme.

On my next step, the ground beneath me gave way. I fell forward into a hole that opened before me. Darkness swallowed me, and I screamed until I hit hard soil at the base of thepit.

I swore every bone in my body had broken. Why in the world was there a hole in the mountain? Who were wolves trying to catch? A boar? The hounds seemed more the huntingtype.

Escalating grunts came from somewhere above. I massaged the ache across my temple. The opening lay at least twice my height above me. And for the first time since getting lost, tears prickled my eyes. Everything I did turned to crap. Each turn brought me closer to death. There was a reason Grandma had warned me about the Den, and now I wasn’t sure if I had chosen the lesser evil by running from thepriestess.

I staggered to my feet and searched for anything to help me escape. Tree roots stuck out of the walls, and I pulled hard on one. The cord didn’t snap.Perfect. Damn this, I was getting out of this territory alive and nothing would get in my way. Digging my boot into the wall for a footing, I clambered upward. I had scaled rock faces before with Bee when we’d gone exploring in thewoods.

My gripslipped.

I lost my balance. Panicked, I reached foranything.

A shadow hovered over me, and a hand seized my wrist. I flew out of the pit with such speed, my stomachlurched.

Falling to my knees, I was several feet away from a naked man. His skin was sun-kissed, and he cradled an arm across his chest. Bite marks littered his body. A gash beneath his eye bled down his cheek. Blood marred an injuredear.

“Oryn?” Even with injuries and him wavering on his feet, the guy was bigger than Nero. Long, dark hair framed the bluest eyes and with his strong jawline, my gaze fell to his lips and broadness of his shoulders. Yep, all the single girls had to do was visit the Den if they wanted to search for a hunk to call their own. But that meant meandering through the dangers of savagewolves.

He stared at me with a desperation in his gaze and nodded once before his knees buckled. He crashed to the ground, landing on hisside.

I rushed to his side. “Oryn, are you allright?”

He moaned but wasn’t rushing to get up either. Around me lay two other wolves, bloodied and unmoving. Oryn had risked his life for me, fighting four wolves. Sure, if I yearned to run away, this was the time. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave him vulnerable. Any predators that found him would make a meal of him. The priestess forcing everyone to stay away from the wolves’ territory was a blessing indisguise.

A distant howlechoed.

I shuddered.Oh,crap!

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